■XZi,. 



mk 



:5;.;«^ 



.(■."^.'.v; 



'V.'\< 



ww; 







i 



AN 



i 



TO THE 



^^REEMEN OF RHODE ISLAND 



BY 



TT. 



PROVIDENCE : 



PRIKTED AT THE HERALD-OFFICE. 



1S31. 



f?'^ 

^^L 



M^ jiiDiDmmm^ 



TO THE FREEMBN OF RHODE-ISLAND, 

On the twentieth of April next, you will again select your 
rulers for the ensuing political year. 

Although I am no preacher, I shall take the liberty ^n this 
occasion to take a text, which you may find in Adam Smith's 
Theory of Moral Sentiments, (vol. 1. 3. 3.) in the words fol- 
lowing : : ^'Examine the Records of History, recollect what 
has happened within the circle of your own experience, con- 
sider with attention what has been the conduct of all 
the greatly unfortunate, either m public or private life, 
whom you have either read of^ heard of or remember, and you 
will find, that the misfortunes of by far the greatest part of 
them, have arisen from their not knowing when they were well 
off, when it was proper for them to sit still and be contented. 
The inscription upon the tombstone of the man who had en- 
deavoured to mend a tolerable constitution by taking physic, 
"I WAS WELL, I WISHED TO BE BETTER; HERE 
I AM :" may generally be applied with great justness to the 
distress of disappointed avarice and ambition." 
"^ Although I may not handle my text with much skill on this 
occasion, I would recommend it to your serious consideration, 
as it may answer a good purpose in politics and business, as 
well as in sickness and in health. 

You are now called upon by a party heretofore unknown in 
this State, the leaders and most active of whom are neither of 
the whole or half blood of our native citizens; and have no 
settlement among us either by purchase or inheritance; to turn 
out our present Governor, together with the Senate, and put 
in his place, a young gentlemen from Vermont. 

When a man, who has served the public as long and as 
well as Governor Fenner, and for a very small compensation, 
is to be opposed, the first questions that occur are — what has 
he done? and who are his accusers? It has been said that he 
and the members of the Senate have aided a few members of 
the House of Representatives, in establishing and continuing 
a system of internal taxes for nearly ten years past ; by which 
moans, the sum of one hundred and ninety seven thousand 

SEVENTY EIGHT DOLLARS AND SEVENTY CENTS, have bcCn COl- 



leaUd and paid into the treasury. This sum has been paid 
voluntarily, as no man is obliged to hold his Bank charter buy 
a ticket in a lottery, or take a license for any purpose, un^ 
less he pleases ; and it has kept the same sums for the same 
time from being paid by the Landholders of this State,exclusiv6- 
Jy and by compulsion. 

The question is noW fairly before you (o settle, whether 
you will aid this National Party (as they call themselves) in 
turning out the Governor, and pay two hundred thousand dol- 
lars by land tax exclusively for the next ten years, to support 
the Government,— or, whether, you will help the State Repub- 
lican party keep him in, and pay the taxes as they are now 
paid. This you will find the whole question at issue. If the 
Landhoiders should so far forget their own interest, and what 
is due to themselves and families, as to join the Nationals and 
turn out thd present Governor and Senate, they will find out 
when It is too late, what Pyrrhus, a celebrated General and 
King of Epirus said, after he had obtained a great victory over 
the Romans, (many being slain on both sides) *' that such 
another victory would totally ruin him." 

You are no doubt conversant with the Scriptures. If so 
you will find a passage that you may hereafter have cause to re- 
member, if you neglect to take care of yourselves at this time. 
It IS in these words : " There went out a decree in the days 
Claudius Ca3sar, that all the world should be taxed." Let the 
Nationals get into power in this State, and they will soon 
issue a decree, that all youu land sJio.ll he taxed, and all the 
internal taxes abolished. 

^ When President Adams laid his land tax, the people in this 
State could hardly bear to hear his name mentioned. 

If yoa now want to change your rulers, introduce strangerSj 
increase your expenses and pay them all by a land tax, you 
will on the 20th day of April next, issue your decree accord- 
ingly. If you do not, hold on where you are, being wcHofr, 
and having the power in your own hands, you will have abun- 
dant cause to remember my text—" we were ivcll, we wished to 
be better ; here we arc.'''' 

Would any prudent shipowner having a ship returned from 
a long voyage with a valuable cargo, Captain and crew ail 
well, ship in good order, having no portage bills to pay, when 
he got her again ready for sea, with a valuable cargo, bound to 
the same port, employ a young green hand for Captain (and 
the crew no better) who would be as likely to put to sea in a 
storm, as with a fair wind, and perhaps not find the port ; un- 
til he had enquired of his old Captain and crew whether thev 
would take charge of hi3 ship again? and if thev would take 



tharge of it again, which ought he to etiiploy / Your hoiiQHi 
tinswer to this question ouglit to be youf guide al the eusuinor 
election. If he did not take his old Captain and cre\r, he 
Would have cause to remember ray text ; — 

''Iliad a ship icith an experienced Captain and crew ; / 
tcanted a better ; here I am icithoiit ship or carboy 

Whenever prudence does not direct, of justice require you 
to attempt to change your rulers, or your situation in life, what- 
ever it may be ; those, \Vho do attempt it, play at the most un- 
equal game of hazard and stake every thing, against nothing; 
'i'hose of you, who shall help change the administration in tliTs 
Sta^e (if you should succeed) will lose to the State, about 
125,000, annually in internal taxes, and bring that sum on 
your land, which you must pay at all events. 

Government has its origin in the weakness of individuals, 
and has for its object, the protection of thb whole. Monctf 
must be had. The National party are strongest in the 
House of Representatives, and most of them have always been 
opposed to the whole system of internal taxes. Their opposi- 
tion now is only smothered, because they knoW if they should 
pass an act to abolish the internal taxes and put on a land tax, 
that such an act would not pass the Senate. Turn out your 
present Governor and Senate, and the National party would 
soon issue their decree, that all your land should be taxed. 

My advice to you is, when almost the whole civilized world 
is in a state of commotion, revolution and warfare, to be pa- 
tient; consent to be happy and remain contented a little long- 
er until those troubles subside, to pause and reflect upon what 
you are about to do before it is too late, as it is much easier to 
keep out of difficulty than to get out when you are in. And 
in public as in private affairs, you ought never to change a 
certainty for an uncertainty. 

In changing the administration of this State (while you have 
nothing to complain of) you have every thing to lose, and noth- 
ing to L^ain, but a new high sounding title. 
^ In France we hear of nothing but a republican, citizen 
King. In absolute governments, titles are on the decline, 
when in this little State it seems they are on the rise ; as those, 
who coma among us from other Siatcs, who now offer to school 
us in the science of government,and to take the whole trouble 
of governing ourselves, off of our hands, are not satisfied with 
being called merely >S'^«^^: Republicans, but assume the sounds 
ing name of Nationals. 

I believe that with all our money the Nation can look cut 
for itself, and that we had better see to our own cofjcerns, I 
should advise my brother farmers to support the present Prox. 



o 



They own the soil, and ought to govern it. Yoar property is 
visible and tangible ; and in the days of adversity must bear 
all the burdens. 

If one of yoaown an estate worth 810,000 and owes $5,000, 
you would have to pay a tax for $10,000 and interest for the 
t>,000 ; while the man to whom you owe the 5,000 receives 
more money for interest, than you receive from the income of 
the whole estate, and the labour of an industrious family be- 
sides; when he can keep his money or security out of sight 
and not pay a cent of tax for it. 

I would advise those, who have an interest in Banks to be 
quiet and not quarrel with their own bread and butter. They 
have put the State to much trouble and very great expense in 
a very plain case. Still the Legislature are not disposed to 
meddle with them. If you consider the present Bank lax an 
evil (which 1 do not, J I beg of you not to increase it by this 
opposition, since you have not the power to remove it. If yoQ 
join thisojjposition wiihaviewofchangingthe administration, in- 
creasing the expenses and laying all the tax on the land, and fail 
in the attempt, as you surely will; you must not blame any one if 
you have to pay as much bank tax as they pay in Massachussetts; 
from whence you have derived your title and politics. 

If you give us their title we will give you their tax; and you 
will have no one to blame, as you will have brought it upon 
yourselves. Yerily I think you will have some cause to re- 
member my text. ^'JVe iccre jvell, we wished to he better; here 
we are."" 

1 would also advise the manufacturers in this state to bo 
quiet, and not to be so blinded, that they cannot see their ow-n 
interest. You are doing very well ; we wish you may prosper ; 
provoke no inquiry into your affairs ; we will make no com- 
parison between your present prosperity and the depression of 
the Landholders. As long as you can make cotton goods and 
send them to Europe and India, and after paying freight, insu- 
rance, commission &:-c, can sell better cloth for less money 
than they can where they make it, you have nothing to ap- 
prehend from foreirrn competition. You have much more to 
apprehend from a Yankee competition. By inducing men to 
go into the business without capital, ndio, when pushed for 
money, will sell at any price and compel you to seU for the 
same or keep your goods to your ruin. Tho Tariff has been a 
hobby heretofore for political men on both sides ; but, it does 
not appear that it has benefitted the manufacturers or injured 
the purchasers. 

1 have looked in vain for a reason, for the opposition made 
by these nationals the lai-t year and the present one. They 



say, they have a large majority in this state, and it is certaiu, 
that they hold nearly all the offices of any profit, both in the 
state and under the authority of the United States Most of 
the persons in these offices are opposed to us; but, we do not 
rely on office holders or office seekers, but on the justice of our 
cause, which is great and must and will prevail against all its 
enemies. 

This NATIONAL DIRECTORY In Providcnce Called a convention 
last Spring, which was attended by delegates from nearly ail 
parts of the State where Gov. Fenner, was nominated without a 
dissenting voice,upon the motion of Lemuel II. Arnold, who now 
is his opponent. After they had separated, this Utth directory 
rebelled, and put up Eider Messer ; and ail the nationals fol- 
lowed on, even, after they had pledged their honor (as ia usual 
on such occasions) to use all fair and honorable means to secure 
Gov. Fenner's election. 

The Elder was from Massachusetts, and although a very re- 
spectable gentlemen, was not then a freemen of this state and 
knew very little of its concerns; and having been left out of 
the Presidency of Brown University, because he had very lit- 
tle faculty of governing boys, could not be supposed very capa* 
ble of governing men. This year the directory advertised for 
another Convention to meet at East Greenwich, and set there 
with closed doors, protesting^ before the convention met, 
that they would not have Gov. Fenner for their candidate. 
The last year they overruled a unanimous decree of the con- 
vention, this year they called a convention merely for the pur- 
pose of ratifying a decree, which they had previously made in se- 
cret conclave, for the good of the sovereign people, whom they 
turaed out into the street,for fear the public should see &. know 
the hand that directed them : and all this at length resulted in 
the nomination of a young gentlemen from Vermont. But, it is 
said by some, that he came to this state young : I believe it was 
Dr. Johnson, who said that an Irishman caught when very young 
&. educated in England,made a tolerably good Englishmen. But 
any man, who is not more attached to the place of his nativity 
where he fir^t inhaled his breath and where his eyes first be- 
held the glorious light of Heaven, than to any one a- 
dopted by him from interest, or even from necessity, is not fit to 
hold any office. We have such an attachment to our birth 
place and home, that time,distance or change of place can but 
seldom eradicate it. 

It appears that the directory , who assume the name of na- 
tional republicans treat the people of this State in the same 
manner the crowned heads of Europe treated the French na- 
tion in their revolution ; saying to them that they should ncr- 



er live In peace, until the.y would have a King to rule oyer 
them. Thus the x\ationals tell us, that we have no native 
born citizen among us of education and talent, equal to the 
task of ruling us, and that we shall have no peace until w© 
will accept one of their nationals and a foreigner for a Gov- 
ernor. Some of the printers say we ought to change our Gov- 
ernor and Senate, because when any of them go to Washinfr- 
ton and tell a Jackson man that this is a Clay stale, they are 
reminded that our Governor and Senate are in favor of the 
present administration ; and that this is very mortifijing. Oh t 
fie, fie, tohat a pity ! as my grandmother used to say ; has 
It come to this, that we must change our administration i'n this 
State every time some printer goes to Washingion and is mor- 
tified at hearing the truth, or whenever they represent things 
for facts, that they know to be otherwise ? If so, miserably 
pitiful would be ou,r condition, and we should, be obliged to 
have a loeekly instead of an annual election, and turn^'everv 
man out of office who is not for Mr. Clay, of whose eleva'- 
tion to the Presidency, there is not the least probability as 
three fourths of the freemen of the United States, have already 
rendered a verdict against him, and nine tenths will, before 
the election. Besides H. Clay, is too well advised to become 
the Candidate of the national party. He understands him- 
self better than to risque the remnant of his fame in the hands 
of such a combination. 

The fate of De Witt Clinton, whose ambition led him to 
aspire to the Presidency, before his proper time, will be suffi- 
cient to deter H. Clay, from being the disappointed victim of 

the COALITION. 

I should think that after Mr. Clay had spent four or five 
years of the best of his life in standing in almost all the public 
places in his own state, haranguing the people, making speech- 
es in favour of himself and against the President,delivering lec- 
tures on war, pestilence and famine at his barbacues, being an 
orator of persuasive eloquence, a great gallant, a great promot- 
er of the American System and the cause of temperance, by 
eating roast pigs and increasing the consumption of whiskey, 
able and willing to play or fight to accommodate his constitu- 
ents ; if after all this and with all these accomplishments, he 
cannot get the vote of his own state where he is well known, it 
IS time for those who do not know him so well, to give him. up 
and take some Jack at a pinch. I Should as soon of think run- 
ning against Eclipse with Purdy on his back for all I was worth 
with a horse that could not get out first when he run alone, as 
of running Mr. Clay for the Presidency against the present 
incumbent under such circumstlfnces. 



9 

I have wandered from my text, but as it is the first and in 
all probability will be the last sermon I shall ever deliver, 1 
must be excused. My intention was to confine myself to our 
state affairs and not to meddle with national politics. Suffi- 
cient for the day is the evil thereof. I had been inadvertently 
drawn off the subject by casting my eye on a newspaoer. But 
whenever tiie great political contest for the Presidency shall ar- 
rive, I shall be willing to meet the nationals in the field of 
reason, and if I cannot convince any reasonable man, who 
neither holds nor wishes for an office, it is more for his in- 
terest and the public good to support the present administra^ 
tion, than those opposed to it, I will vote with him against it. 

The object of the present administration is to pay the na- 
tional debt, which by strict economy they have reduced to 

about FORTY MILLIONS OF DOLLAKS. This will put that SUM 
INTO CIRCULATION IN THE COUNTRV ; LOWER THE RATE OF 
INTEREST OP MONEY, AND INCREASE THE VALUE of [and and 

produce ; and enable the government to reduce the duties on 
-all such articles as are not of the growth and manufacture of 
this country. 

The object and policy of the opposition are to keep on the 
national debt, and all the duties and taxes for the purpose of 
making roads and canals, with your money, in the western 
country ; to enable people, who either had their land given to 
them, or paid very little for it, to bring their produce here, 
at your expense and undersell you, who have given from ten to 
one hundred dollars per acre for your land. The experiments 
of internal improvements and what is falsely called the Amer- 
ican System, which were actually before Congress in 1830, 
were estimated at about 895,000,000. Had not a check been 
put upon these experiments, the national debt would have 
been augmented, and the very expenses of Government must 
have been defrayed by direct taxes. The administration is de- 
termined first to get out of debt, relieve the people from 
taxes, and, if a surplus of revenue remains after defraying 
the government expenses, to divide it among the States, 
that the Legislatures may appropriate it among their own citi- 
zens as their wisdom or necessity requires. This will be 
found to be the true American System, which you can all 
see and realize. Any man whose property is in farming 
land, who cannot choose between two such parties, is fit 
only to be a slave. 

Fellow-citizens of Rhode-Island, you are descended from 
the real puritans, the purest of the pure, from those who were 
compelled to flee to this region from a reign of terror and 
a second persecution, ?nd came hither " to demonstrate to 



10 

the World by lively experiment, that a most flourishing civil 
state may best stand and be maintained vrith a full liberty 
in religious concernments," without any compulsion or reg- 
ulation by law ; and their experiment has been hitherto suc- 
cessful. You have been in war, by sea and land, among 
the bravest of the brave ; in peace, industrious, intelligent 
and honest ; in commerce, enterprising ; in manufacturing, 
skillful and persevering ; and in every situation, good citizens»- 
Your ancestors have left you a goodly inheritance, and yoa 
hold your rights, privileges and estates, by an honorable ten<- 
ure. Your fethers gave them to their sons and they again to 
theirs ; and I hope you will transmit them safely down to your 
succeeding heirs, saying to them "this is a land your forefa^ 
tliers sought as a place of rational liberty and religious tolera- 
tion : as we have received it from them, so we leave it to you." 
A public station is a situation that gives a man power and' 
req^uires energy in him to do his duty to his country and his 
friends ; and if he does not, but sleeps upon his posl, he is as 
blamable as the man who goes over to the enemy in time of 
war. Judging what may be from what has been, you have 
every reason to believe that Gov. Fenner, who is a gentleman' 
of sound mind, of good common sense, and great experience, 
with a liberal education and in every respect well qualified, will 
fearlessly do his duty according to the best of his understand- 
ing and to the promotion of the best interests of the State. 

I would now seriously ask you what yoa have to expect from 
Mr. Arnold, if he should be chosen. If he should come ovei: 
to our side and pursue the same measures with us, keep on the 
internal and keep off the land taxes, his own party would call 
him as great n traitor to them as Gen. Arnold was to his coun- 
try, when he sold his^ brethren in arms for British gold. But 
he is an honorable man and cannot do it. I should have a 
very different opinion of him, if he could thus change side». 
You have then^ nothing to expert from his election, but an en- 
tire change in your revenue system, taxes and expenses. Else 
why all this party commotion 1 It cannot be for a mere title : 
the object is to effect an entire change in your system of gov- 
ernment. 

Whenever you choose men to office, you will be safest in 
choosing those whose interest is similar to yours ; and then, 
if they impose any burden upon you, they do upon themselves 
at the same time. All Gov. Fenner's estate is in land, and if 
he takes care of himself he must of you. 

What Mr. Arnold's property is in, I know not : I believe 
he has been a lawyer, a commission merchant, and a specula- 
tor in banks and turnpikes. 

The NATIONALS say that Gov. Fenner has been in office 



rr 

long enough, and ought to be turned out for that reason. They 
have been trying for several years and yet cannot find a native 
citizen among their whole party, (although they claim a very 
large majority and almost all the men of education, wealth, and 
talent on their side) but are obliged to go to Vermont and 
Massachusetts for candidates. 

The opposition say that Gov. Fenner ought to be turned out 
because lie is m favour of the present administration of the 
JNational Government. This comes with a very ill grace from 
those, who but a few years since held up, that if a man was 
opposed to any of th^ measures of Mr. Adams's administra- 
tion, It disqualified him from holding any office in town or 
State ; and who now are continually grumbling and tellinfr us 
<hat It 16 an awful thing for the President to turn out defaul- 
ters and swindlers, and put his friends in office. These very 
men have taken apon themselves the name of National Re- 
publicans, a name which they disgrace by opposing the na- 
tional republican administration, chosen by more than three 
quarters of the freemen of the United States. And they say 
that Gov. Fenner ought to be turned out because he will not 
help them oppose the constitutional natipnal government of his 
country, which his oath of office binds him to support ; and 
'because he will not help them abuse the man whom a very 
great majority of the Nation have seen fit to elect for their 
President, and will elect again, if his life is spared. I should 
as soon think of Belzebub with all his train of hypocrites and 
infidels, assuming the name of thy only orthodox church, while 
in open rebellion and hostility to all the Christian Churches 
of whatever name or denomination, as of this opposition assum- 
ing the name of National Republicans, while they are act- 
ing both openly and secretly against the only National Repub- 
lican Government in existence. 

I am not old enough to remember a great many years past ; 
but have heard ray grandfather tell bow the country people 
we^e oppressed in the revolution by very heavy taxes to pay 
the interest of the State debt. Cattle were frequently sold at 
auction for taxes, for from five to seven dollars a head, and 
half of that went to pay costs. And when they attempted to 
have a new apportionment made, because some of the country 
towns paid more than the town of Providence ; although the 
taxes were tyrannical, oppressive and unjust, such was the op- 
position to a new estimate, that it was three years before a vote 
could be obtained in the House of Representatives to take 
one ; and at that time the country towns and their members 
were all united and had, as I understand, many able men 
among them. 



12 

What is the situation of the two parties in this State at fhi> 
lime? The country interest lessening and divided among 
themselves ; few men of talents to rindieate or defend them in 
(he House of Representaatives. The other party who calls 
themselves nationals and represent the monied interest, are 
increasing in numbers, wealth and talent, with a bank capital 
of nearly seven millions to operate in their favor, besides all 
their notes, bonds and mortgages. 

If this class of men in former times contended so long against 
what was so manifestly just, do you expect that now, if they gel 
into power, they will continue the internal taxes, which they 
say are not only unjust but unconstitutional, and to get rid of 
Avhich, they have already spent .$3,000, to try the case before 
the Supreme Court of the United States 7 This would be tod 
much to expect of any men. What would have been your sit- 
uation if they had succeeded in these five suits against the 
state ? You would have had to pay all the money back by land 
tax with all the interest and costs. 

What guarantee have you against these measures, if L. H* 
Arnold and his Senate are elected 7 He and some of them 
were members of the Assembly, in 1828--9, when the ques- 
tion was debated whether the 27th Section of the Act, relating 
to the collecting and assessing of taxes, should be repealed, 
and all property real and personal made liable to be assessed 
in taxes. What was his and their course on that occasion* 
They spoke and voted against the proposition. He the.i ad- 
vocated the doctrine that corporations might hold property to 
an almost indefinite amount, and ought not to be assessed in 
taxes. 

When a man sits down to mortgage his estate with all the 
formality of signing, sealing and delivering, it naturally caus- 
es some serious reflections. When you sign a prox in favor of 
the Nationals, you will find it the same in effect as a mortgage 
of your real estate for your part of the slate debt and state 
expenses ; as much so as though you had actually mortgaged it 
in a formal manner. 

Annexed you have ai list of the internal taxes, as they have 
been paid into the treasury, by which you will see, that of late, 
they have considerably increased. If the present Governor 
and Senate can be supported, this internal revenue will soon 
increase, so that the avails will support the State Government, 
pay your State debt, and support Free Schools. And remem- 
ber, that your only refuge against oppression, in the last resort, 
is in your Governor and Senate. We have had no land tax in 
this State since 3822; and since that time the internal rev- 
enue system, as it is called, has produced the following same, 
annually : 



13 

¥eav ending May, iS'^U, ft 8,031) 77 c\&. 



is^n, 


»s,om r/ 


182B, 


16,482 7G 


1824, 


23,7a 1 37 


1825, 


18,010 38 


1820, 


8,534 24 


1827, 


14,403 37 


1828, 


28,239 47 


1829, 


28.651 56 


1830, 


30,959 98 



Six months, ending Oct. 1830, 19,365 80 



Slim total j 1197,018 70 
If the revenue for the current half year equals that of llio 
last, you will perceive an increase of about $8000 over that 
of the last year. Thus, arc ail the expenses of government 
met and defrayed without direct taxation. Having now got 
through with my text, it only remains for me to make some icVf 
remarks by way of application, and then leaVe you in your oU il 
hands, as you have the power to protect or ruin yourselves. 

But for the editors of the Journal and American, thcro 
would have been no opposition to the Governor the last year 
or this. These men disagree about most things. But altljough 
they appear to differ by day-light, yet they can unite at mid- 
night in secret conclave, for your destruction. They have 
learnt (in the words of the Apostle) to "become all things to 
all men." One of them indeed seems to have more liberalily 
than the other, and is not for condemning a whole society, be- 
cause all its members are not perfect, nor for calling all men 
tiplers and drunkards merely because they have a license to 
retail liquor. The other, having been uncommonly moral, 
honest and temperate himself, has no charity for battJcrvpts^ 
frcanasons, or those who buy or sell strong drink. Notwith- 
standing their apparent division, they and their employers have 
agreed to join together to effect your downfall. The coutry is 
filled with their papers without expense to those, to whom they 
are sent. Who pays for them ? You can hardly see ar,ourt- 
tryman take off his hat but it is full of them. 

This is written by a landholder who, is in debt fof his land j 
and it is addressed to landholders whether they are masons or 
antimasons ; tariff or anti-tariff; Jack-on, Adams or Clay 
men ; administration or opposition men. These are all names 
of little consequence to you, compared with your homes and 
families. It is best to try one question at a timc^ The ques- 
tion now on trial is — whether you shall pay a heavy land tax, 
which will continue and increase as long as you live, — or not. 
And, if it goes against you this time, remember you can have 
Jio appeal or new trial. 



14 

JVll eonlpafisoris arc odious ; bat wheR we compare our lit- 
*iauon with that of other States, it is an enviable one. Our 
lijegislalure and Suprerne Court sit in every county in the 
^tate. We have a probate court in each tovvn, where also we 
4iavo all our deeds recorded : we have thns an opportunity to 
become acquainted with our Legislators and with our Courts, 
and of knowing all about the seltlemont of insolvent and intes- 
'ato estates, the duty and powers of Executors and Adminis- 
trators; and thus have a belter opportunity of gaining infor- 
mation about our common business, than the peaple of most of 
the States. 

We have paid a great part of our state debt contracted in 
tlie revolution for the common defence. 

We have a Governor for ^400 as well qualified by nature 
and education as atiy Governor in the United States, let his 
ealary be what it may. We pay but ♦one eighth as much bank 
tax as they do in some of the Naiional States ; and besides 
our banks have exclusive privileges, in other States they have 
!;ot. We have got a good Court, who are well paid ; and our 
members of the General Assembly, and Jurors, who a few 
years since received nothing from the Treasury, are now paid 
by the day. 

We support free schools and have commenced a fund for 
Iheir support in future. 

The Legislature have relieved the youth and the poor from 
Ivvo-thirds of their burdens under the militia system, whioh 
served only to oppress the poor, and as a nursery to train our 
youth for the dram shop ; and to do all this they have laid no 
4and tax, no poll-tax, nor any tax, but what is paid voluntarily ; 
smd at the end of every year they have a surplus in their trea- 
sury, while many states with all their taxes are running in 
debt. 

i would now ask you if you wish to change your present tu- 
*lcrs with their system of economy, supported by internal taxes, 
for this great National System of office and honor, with high 
salaries, supported entirely by land taxes. I know the feel- 
ings and sentiments of Lemuel H. Arnold towards the good 
old fashioned usages of this State. The subjects on which he 
has always been very solicitous are our judicial system, espe- 
cially our courts of Common Pleas — which are to be abolished 
and a Circuit Judge, with a competent salary to take their 
places ; the impropriety of vesting town-councils with probate 
authority; the improper mode of registering deeds in Town 
Clerk's otfices of each town, the impropriety of retaining the 
old Charter as the form of our Government, which he has al- 
ways wanted to obliterate, and supply its place by a 
Constitution, defining the powers of the people, giving the 



J5 

?eto power to the Governor, and the power of pardon in crim- 
inal cases, a competent and respectable salary, relieving hinr 
from setting in the Senate and presiding in Grand Committee, 
surrounded by a chamber of Counsellors with salaries auitablo 
to their rank, in imitation of other States, and finally fixing the 
seat of Government at Providence. These are some of the 
reforms, which are most predominant in his ambition^ and 
which it is secretly understood the Nationals have pledcred 
themselves to accomplish as a condition of his becoming 
Chief Magistrate. 

If you want a Constitution, such a one as Benjamin IJazard, 
and Lemuel H. Arnold shall' dictate to you : If you want to. 
have the tov^n of Providence the seat of government ; the Gov- 
erner, and Senate chosen for three years, instead of one ; the 
Attorney General, Treasurer and Secretary to reside in Provi- 
dence ; your courts of common pleas abolislied or reduced ; 
your deeds recorded in the County clerk's office as they arc 
in some of the iVa^ionaZ States ; — if, you wish to Viave a Judge 
of Probate in each county instead of each town, to whom you 
must go to have a will proved and to have your administration 
business ^done ; if you wish to be obliged to go to the great 
eity of Providence to do all your business, as the subjects of the 
King of England go up to his royal city of London to hav2 
theirs done : — if you wish to be governed by lainjcrs and prin- 
terSj to do away the internal and lay land taxes ; to do away 
the whole system of economical legislation; to have your taxes 
boundless in amount and endless in duratiori ; to increase 
your happiness by increasing your debts, burdens and taxes ; 
and finally to forge your own chains and rivet them on, and 
lay a foundation to enslave your children, — Now is your time ; 
and my word for it, you will have cause to remember my text 
until your epitaph shall be written on your tombston* ; '* i 
was well off; I toished to be better ; Here I am.'^ 

There are times that call forth the activity and unanimity of 
honest men, and if I am not greatly mistaken, this is one of 
them. When the farmers see all the large towns and villages, 
the manufactures and nearly all the printers and lawyers, bank- 
ers, brokers and usurers, and all those who live without labour 
by buying and selling, writing and talking, arrayed and united 
against them, they must see the necessity of an honest 
association to protect themselves from oppression and destruc- 
tion ; and he that will not do it for the purpose of defence is 
a traitor to his family. If this was an intricate or doubtful 
question to decide, a wise man might be perplexed, and a bold 
man stago-ered ; but it is neither intricate, nor doubtful ; we all 
see what^we have to contend for, and whom we have to con- 
tend with. We have a great battle to fight for our liberty, 



16 

property and the right of self government : we have powerful 
enemies In the field who will spare neither money nor pains. 
But our cause is a glorious one, and lee must unite, Jigi,t and 
ionqner, or consent to be slaves. 

A LANDHOLDER 



